WICKLIFFE, Ky. — "This case is truly tragic, and not just for the dogs that were killed at your hand. Some of those dogs were loved like kids are loved. You hurt them and that's bad."

Those were just some of the sentiments expressed by Ballard Circuit Judge Tim Langford on Friday as he sentenced 68-year-old Edward Ream to 90 days in county jail and a $250 fine. Ream, who has been in jail since his conviction last month, has 74 days left to serve.

Originally charged with multiple counts of animal torture, attempted torture and criminal mischief, Ream's first trial, in November, ended in a mistrial due to an error during jury selection.

After that, Ream agreed to a plea deal, but then withdrew his guilty plea and opted to go to trial. The trial ended May 18 and Ream was convicted on one count of attempted torture of a dog or cat.

After delivering their verdict last month, two jurors spoke up, saying the whole jury believed Ream was guilty of all the charges but could find sufficient proof to convict on only one charge.

"The jury didn't find you guilty of killing those dogs, but, if you remember what the jury foreman said, they thought you did every one of them over the course of years. Terrible thing."

Langford added it was disappointing to have to sentence a veteran, who up until now had no criminal record, to jail time.

"You know what the big tragedy of this is? You served this country honorably in Vietnam," he said. "You were a door gunner ... and I suspect you done your job real well.

"This week was Memorial Day and we celebrated and remembered those who gave their lives to defend this country and you risked yours to give us a free country. But that freedom comes with limits."

Finally the judge said he hoped Ream would come out of jail changed for the better.

"You can come out on the other side of those 74 days left to serve one of two ways," he told Ream. "You can be bitter and mad at everybody, or maybe at some point during those 74 days, you can learn to respect other folks' property as you want them to respect you."

Ream was originally cited Feb. 6, 2015, after county authorities searched his North Adkins Road residence and found containers of food soaking in what they believed to be antifreeze.

Animal control officer James Campbell said a warrant was obtained after the agency received an anonymous tip. The tipster, he said, was a neighbor who'd mistakenly received Ream's mail and had gone to drop it off when he saw a container of meat soaking in antifreeze.

Officers said they searched the premises and found four containers of soaking food as well as a half-empty gallon of antifreeze.

When he spoke to Ream, Campbell said he stated: "Hell yes, I did it. I'm getting tired of those dogs (peeing) on my porch."

Following the sentencing, Ream's attorney Jeremy Ian Smith said since his conviction, Ream has expressed the realization that he acted wrongly.

"I've seen a change in him," Smith said. "He seems a lot different after just being in the jail for 16 days. I mean, for somebody with no criminal history any kind of jail time is going to do that."

As for the dogs' owners, Commonwealth attorney Mike Stacy he hope the cases' resolution will bring them some comfort.

"They always knew that this was a case that could go either way," he said. "The fact that (Ream) got exposed for what he is and was, and the fact that he has to serve time helps some."